Holocaust Studies

The aim of this project is to help the Jewish community of Wrocław to tell its story.

At its peak, this community numbered in the thousands; today only a handful remain. The restoration of a large Jewish cemetery connects us with people who have preceded us in time, and engages us in recognizing their place in the "community of memory." This project honors the place of a people who have mostly vanished from Wrocław and Poland in the wake of the Holocaust, and helps the remaining community to reclaim an important cultural and historical artifact. As an act of historical recovery, this project stands as an active rebuke of ethnic violence anywhere in the world.

Interested in learning more? Email to get your name on an interest list and receive notification of an upcoming information session.

The next HSSLP trip to Poland will be in May 2017 (estimated dates: May 6 - 18). We will leave for the airport immediately after commencement. The trip includes five days of service in a Jewish cemetery in Wrocław, followed by exploration of Kraków and a day trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau. For this next trip, we plan to add a couple days to go to Warsaw and visit the new Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

Full cost per student is currently estimated at $2,700. Please note that we will be able to issue scholarships (some need-based) that will significantly bring down this amount. We encourage students to also take initiative to fundraise. In the past, some students have received funding from churches and synagogues in exchange for giving a presentation after the trip.

Participation in the trip includes a 0.5 unit class during Spring Semester.

Recent Trip Blogs

Check out the interview! Gordon Evans of WMUK radio in Kalamazoo interviewed trip participants Megan Connolly and Jocelyn McWhirter about their experience. The piece aired on May 19, 2011. Listen to the interview and read the article!